Headlight



W. G. WOOD AND W. A. MEYER.

HEADLIGHT.

APPLICATioN FILED APR.5.1916.

Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. G. WUUD AND W. A. MEYER.

HEADLIGHT.

APPLlcAnoN man APR.5.1916.

1 ,330,4 1 9, Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

AzseEETs-SHEIET 2.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

' WILLIIIM e. woon AND WILLIAM A. MEYER, or sAcnnMENTo, cALIronNIA, AssIeNons,

4'BY DIRECT ANDV MESN ASSIGNMENTS, TO BERKELEY LIGHT CORPORATION, A COR- ronaTIoN or NEVADA.

' To all whmnz't may] concern: Beit known that we, WILLIAM Gc looD and WILLIAM A. `MEYER, citizens of the United States, residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento 'and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Headlights, of which the fol lowing is a specification. y

The present invention relates to improvements in head-lights for vehicles, such as automobiles, street cars, railway cars and the Much Vdanger and `discomfort are occasionedby the fact that the headlights of automobiles, street*cars.andthe like, being now lusually reflected by a parabolic 'refiector, produce by their glare a `blinding effect upon` persons walking or riding in front of thevehicle into whose'eyes theyiare` directly reflected. It has been attempted to remedy thisevil by the use of what are, called dimmersf the object of whichlis to partially `obscure the Aupper Vportion of the headlight. But, besides the lfaot that these `dimmers involve a`sheer waste of illumination, they` dol not evenhavethe effect 1n` tended. The result of dimming the upper portion of the head-light is only Vto reduce the amount of light by nearly` one-half, and

not to confine the light to a short distance.

above the ground. ATheuse ofthe dimmers merely renders the light less powerful than before, with the obvious disadvantagethat `the road surface is no longer suiiiciently illuminated.

Aeyes of a person walkingor riding infront of the vehicle. f

A further object of the invention is to provide simple and effective means whereby the direction of .thebeam of light fron'the head-light can V.be variedw'both horizontally andnvertically, withoutiadjusting the frame of the headlight itself. 1 i 1 In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section: of ourf improved headlight; 'Figi `f2 is a front view thereof Fig. 3

lis a section on `thelinfe SW3 of` Figll; Fi`g.4

is a view, similar to Fig. 1, of a modified form of the invention. e

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a casing of a headlight, to the sides-of which Specification of Letters Patent.

HEADILIGIIT.

Application'filed Apri] V5,1916. p Serial No. 89,115.

are secured the usual lugs 2 having vertical apertures 3 Vin which can be received the upper ends of standards to which the lugs are secured by means `of set screws.

The interior` of said casing is of adead black color.

In the lrear of the narrow lower portion of said head-light is. secured an ordinary plug connection L1- for lamp cords 6, which are connected to an Ediswan socket 7 of a small lamp 8. Saidsocket 7 is pivoted at the botwhich casing and the shoulder 13 is acomfpressed coiled spring 16, tending always to move `the lamp socket 7 from the casing.

ByA screwing the screw inward in the threaded tube 12, the lamp can be drawn downwardly, or toward the part of the casing through which thescrew extends, and by screwing the screw outwardly the spring 16 part of the casing. Y y

In the front upper portion drical curvature,secured in theusual manner to the casing 1; Near the bottom of said hole there ishinged to the casing, asshown at 18, a parabolic reflector 19 having a plane marginQL At the zapeX of said reflector is a hole around which extends outwardly` a tube 22 fitting over the cylindrical socket 7 p of the casing is a hole closed by a glasswindow 17 of cylinis permittedto move the lamp from said and having diametrically opposite openended slots Q3. to receive theends of a pin 24 `extending through the Ediswan socket to prevent the latter turning with the screw 14C. The outer side of the margin 21, oppositel toV casing, and on which' band rests fthe "ma rgin bayonet slots 34 in the cylindrical socket 7 `and at the focus of the parabolic reflector,

which )is so arranged that the light from the lamp `is reflectedupwardly and rearwardly,

and so that'a beam of light, ofsubstantially the same width as that oftheparabohcre- `iieotor, is thrownagainsta plane, approxif its hinge 18,v has a hole 27 therethrough through which can extend a threaded stud 29, supported upon an extension 31 from band 82 soldered around the inside, of t the Aof the relectonanut 33 `being screwed on `said stud 29. VThelamp 8 is secured, by

its hinge, the parabolic rei-lector can,lthe screw vliavmg been removed, be swung outwardly on its hinge 18 for inspection and depending from thecross member o a T Cif repair, the lamp cords being of suiiicient length to permit this outward movement. y On the margin of the mirror, adjacent to the endsy of its major axis, are secured sockets 37 pivoted to the ends of arms 39 piece 4l pivoted by means of a stem 42 in a hole 43 in a frame 44 having three legs ysecured tothe casing, a central leg 46 and two side `legs Y47. rlhe central member 48 of Asaid T `piece extends rearwardly and has l `therein a llon:gitinlinally extending openended slot 51 above, but spaced Vfrom, the centralleg v46 of the frame. Between said "centralmember Aand central leg is a guide piece 52, which has a contracted portion 53 depending through a slot 54 in the central leg 46, saidl contracted portion being threaded below said leg 46 and. having thereon a nut .56. Through said guide piece, and between said` central member and central leg, eX- tendsla push bar 58, an inner `portion of Awhich is mortised on each' side,-as vshown at 59a'nd iits within the guide piece 52. A screw 6l extends downwardlyl through the i nopen-ended slot 51 in the central member o the T piece vand is screwed into said cause many mechanisms Vof like character,

whichV have been used for turning the'headlight as a-whole with the movement `of: the

steering mechanism, can be readily adapted forturning the reflector here shown.

' It is evidentfromthe above construction that, if the push barbe moved in or out, the central member ofl the T, plece will be moved from 'one side to the other and the mirror will be correspondingly turned about a vertical axis. .c

.vTortu'rn Ithe mirror about a horizontal aXiis-.thefupper part :of the "stem 42 is threaded andfscrews through anut 60` hav` ing an extension pivoted,'as shown vat 64, to

"a yoke 66,thewarms lofcv'vhich are pivoted, .as shown at67, to brackets68 secured upon the. back .of'amirror and extending horio'ntallygtheeon.- When `saidthreaded stem is turned it isV evident thatl theV mirror is moved 11p orf-downV about a horizontal axis. On the outside lothe and on the square end of a reduced upper portion ofthe ste-m 42 extending"through the casing is yportant practical advantages.

secured a handle 71, by which the stem can be turned. To the central lower portion of the backot themirror is secured by solder 72 a hook 73 to which is secured one end ot a stretched coiled spring 74, the other end of which is secured to the rivet 76 whichV secures the central leg 46 to the casing.

In Fig. 4 is shown a `modification of the means for turning the mirror about a horizontal aXis. Instead `of the threaded stein 42, there is now used a smooth stem 77, around which is a sleeve 78, which, like the n ut 60 is attached to the yoke l66, and said sleeve 78 is formed with semi-circular teeth 79 forming a rack, and engaged by a segment gear 8l, pivoted at 82 on a bracket 83, and having a slot 84, which is engaged by a pin 86 carried upon the top of a rod 87, having bearings 88, 89 in the central lug 46 and casing l respectively. The lower end of said rod 87 is formed with a rack 91 engaged by a pinion 92 on a suitably mounted shaft 93 operatively connected with means, located at the drivers seat, for turning the same.

This construction off lamp contains ini- Heretofore head-lights for automobiles with parabolic reiiectors have not been found satisfactory on account of the blinding llare which theyY producev upon an observer in front. To avoid this blinding glare all of the rays reiie'cted :from the parabolic reflector, except those proceeding from the focus ot the parabola, should be absorbed or got rid of, it

possible, for ythey diverge to such an extent that it is not practicable to prevent them from striking the eye of-.an observer at a dangerously short distance in front of the car. Only those rays should be allowed to illuminate the roadway which come from points so close to the focus of the parabola that their divergence is so small that it is possible to keep them below the eye of an observer' at a safe distance in front. Now our construction kenables this to be accomplished, for, in the first place, the source oi light, as an electric lamp, can be arranged so thatthe focus of the parabola is at the extreme front end of said source, and there fore no rays ot light proceed from points in front of the focusv of the parabola. And the rays of light proceeding from points too far behind. the focus of the parabola., and which, after reflection at the parabolic mirror, would dii/'ergev too much, and strike the eye of an observer at less than a safe distance, are reflected by the parabolic mirror in such paths as to escape the plane mirror altogether, vor, when'relected thereby, are reflected to the dull black interior of the lamp, and are lost.

Although only a minute portion of the whole ot' the source of light is utilized, namely, that at the extreme end of said lll() plane mirror, we reflect again the rays of light proceeding from a parabolic reflector, and thus are enabled to select only those rays which ultimately diverge so slightly as not to strike the eye of an observer within a safe distance, and, secondly, We are enabled to adjust the position of the source of light so that the extreme front end of said source is-at the focus of the parabolic reflector, thus rendering it easier to shut out all the rays which would blind the observer.

We claim j l. A vehicle lamp of the character described, comprising a casing having a translucent portion, a parabolic reflector arranged in said casing, a source oflight axially adjustable in said reflector, a` plane reflector, and non-reflecting surfaces arrangedabout said plane reflector and the translucent portion. v

2. In a vehicle lamp, the combination of a casing entirely inclosed except `for a window opening at the front, the interior of the casing having a non-light-reflecting surface, a parabolic reflector in the casing disposed below the window opening, a source of light adjustably mounted in the focus of the reflector and a mirror in the casing above the parabolic reflector receiving the rays of light from the parabolic reflector and refleeting them through the window.

3. In a` vehicle lamp, the combination of a casing entirely inclosed except for a window opening at thefront, the interior of the casinghavinga non-lightreflecting surface, a parabolic reflector in the casing disposed below the window opening, a source of light adjustably mounted in the focus of the reflector, a flat surfaced mirror in the casing above the. parabolic reflector receiving the rays of light from the parabolic reflector and reflecting them through the` window and means for adjusting the angularity of the mirror from the outside of the casing.

fl. In a vehicle lamp, the combination of a casing entirely inclosed except for awindow opening at the front, the interior 0f the casing having a non-lightsreflecting surface, a parabolic reflector in the casing disposed below the window opening, a source of light adjustably mounted in the focus of the reflector, a flat surface mirror in the casing above the parabolic reflector receiving the rays of light from the parabolic reflector, and reflecting them through the window, means for adjusting the angularity of the mirror from the outside of the casing, said lastnamed means including a screw member and a traveling nut and a pivot for the mirror with connections between the nut and mirror whereby on turning the screw the mirror is tilted.

. 5. In a vehicle lamp, the combination of a casing entirely inclosed except for a window opening at the front, the interior of the casing having a non-light-reflecting surface, a parabolic reflector in thecasing disposed below the window opening, a source of light adjustably mounted in the focus of the reflector, a fiat surfaced mirror in the casing above the parabolic reflector receiving the rays of light from the parabolic reflector' and reflecting them through the window, and means 'for moving the mirror horizontally or vertically to direct the reflected rays through the window, either up or down or to the right or left.

6. In a headlight, the combination 0f a casing having a window opening at one side, a concealed source of light therein, means, including a parabolic reflector and mirror, by which the rays may be concentrated and reflected through the window,

and means by which the direction of thev reflected rays through the window may be varied to right or left through the medium of the mirror in the casing.

7. In a headlight, the combination of a casing having a window opening at one side, a concealed source of light therein, means,

including a parabolic reflector and mirror,

WILLIAM G. WOOD. WILLIAM A. MEYER. 

